IMB says Thai tanker may have been hijacked

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A maritime watchdog says a Thai tanker carrying diesel may have been hijacked, after it failed to arrive at an Indonesian port two days ago.

The International Maritime Bureau says the ship’s owner lost contact with Mt Orapin 4 and its 14 crew members after it left Singapore on Tuesday. It was due at the Indonesian port of Pontianak on Thursday.

Noel Choong, who heads the bureau’s piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, said Saturday the ship was classified as missing and a “possible hijack.”

The IMB urged ships to be on the lookout for the missing vessel and for pirates. Last month, a Thai ship and a Singapore tanker carrying diesel were attacked by pirates after they left Singapore. Pirates stole the cargo before releasing the ships.

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